Certified Investment Management Analyst^® (CIMA^®)

the peak international, technical portfolio construction certification program

CIMA certification is the peak international, technical portfolio construction certification program designed for investment and wealth management practitioners and advocates. Sitting in the clear and uncluttered space between Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) on the one hand and Certified Financial Planner (CFP) on the other, CIMA certification is the peak, specialist certification for anyone involved in any aspect of constructing multi-asset, multi-manager portfolios. There are already more than 7,250 CIMA certificants globally.

CIMA certification offers an unrivalled opportunity to formally equip yourself with the knowledge to build better quality investment portfolios – and be recognised for it.

Stand for more with CIMA certification.

Graham Rich, Managing Partner & Dean

A quick introduction

The CIMA certification mark is owned by the Investment Management Consultants Association^® (IMCA^®), the global professional association for advanced investment and wealth professionals.

Since April 2011, CIMA certification has been recognised as the only financial services credential to have met an international standard (ISO 17024) for personnel certification, a stringent global standard. This protects the integrity of CIMA certification. To achieve ISO accreditation, IMCA has to ensure and demonstrate that the CIMA certification program:

• is open and transparent;

• is fair, objective, and impartial;

• has appeals procedures for complaints;

• is supported by an organisation with sound management systems;

• that the decision-making body for the certification program is autonomous and without undue influence by special interests; and,

• certification is based on a process that consistently distinguishes those who meet a level of competency and skills as an investment management professional from those who do not.

CIMA certification in Australia

In Australia, CIMA certification is managed and delivered by, PortfolioConstruction Forum, IMCA australia's strategic partner in the management and delivery of CIMA certification and member continuing education services.

PortfolioConstruction Forum is Australia’s specialist, independent, investment continuing education and certification service for portfolio construction practitioners - so CIMA, as the peak global certification for those who build multi-asset, multi-manager portfolios, is best practice complement to the Forum's continuing education programs.

Why become a CIMA certificant? (1.50 min)
- Graham Rich, Managing Partner & Dean, PortfolioConstruction Forum

The history of CIMA certification in Australia (3.00 min)

In this short video, Ron Bird - Professor at the University of Technology Sydney and the course director of a key education component of the CIMA certification program since inception in Australia in 2001 - explains the genesis of the CIMA program in Australia.

And in this next short video, Prof Bird explains why and how he drove the introduction into Australia of the Investment Management Consultants Association® (owner of the CIMA certification mark).

Who should consider undertaking CIMA certification?

CIMA certification is ideally suited to anyone involved in any aspect of constructing multi-asset, multi-manager portfolios including:

Practitioners

• investment advisers, researchers/analysts and portfolio managers from private wealth management companies;

• analysts and asset consultants from fund research and fund investment consulting firms;

• investment professionals (researchers/analysts and portfolio managers) from multi-manager funds management, superannuation, and investment platform companies;

Advocates

• investment professionals who are not actively and primarily involved in constructing multi-asset, multi-manager portfolios; and,

• business/non-investment professionals from any firm.

The CIMA certification curriculum

The CIMA certification curriculum covers six core topics:
1. governance;
2. fundamentals;
3. portfolio performance and risk measurement;
4. traditional and alternative investments;
5. portfolio theory and behavioural finance; and,
6. the investment consulting process.